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Tour this centennial barn, one of the largest in the country and one of forty-two left in the State of Illinois. It stands 80 feet high and 85 feet in diameter and features a 16-foot diameter floor to ceiling silo. A farm implement museum in on the main floor. Tours are provided by Friends of Johnson’s Park Foundation and groups of ten or more asked to call ahead. Open the first, third, and fifth Saturday beginning May through October. Hours: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The lighthouse is located at the west entrance to the city-owned Dorothy Miller Park in Metropolis, Illinois overlooking the Ohio River. The lighthouse stands thirty feet tall and is surrounded by a circular walkway consisting of concrete and personalized bricks.

Built in 1857, this church is a fine example of Carpenter Gothic Architecture. Pointed arched windows and doors as well as board and batten frame construction characterize this style. King Edward VII worshipped at the church in 1860, while on a hunting expedition in the area. The church was named as one of the “150 Architectural Treasures” in the State of Illinois by the Association of Illinois Architects in 2007, and is listed on the National Historic Register.

Located on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology, S.R. Crown Hall is widely regarded as Mies van der Rohe's masterpiece, and is one of the most architecturally significant buildings of the 20th century Modernist Movement.

Guided tours (by reservation only) of Ragdale, a nationally renowned artists' community built by noted architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, include a walk through the historic house and gardens as well as a studio visit with an artist-in-residence.

A thirty story court house and a forty-five-story office building, the federal building was completed after Mies' death in 1969. The building's sober black and gray exterior expression, the steel mullion and glass model, counterpoints the curving forms and bright red paint of Alexander Calder's sculpture. Photo courtesy of AIA Chicago, Wes Urschel.

This complex, designed by Bertrand Goldberg, includes two corncob-shaped residential towers perched along the Chicago River. Designed to be a “city within a city,” Marina City includes a restaurant, theatre, bowling alley, and a marina for 700 small craft.

The present church is the original structure, built in 1860. Dedicated in 1861 as Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's Church, it features a 50-ft.-tall steeple, pews made of native yellow poplar, and balconies that span the full length of the building on both sides of the stairway.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House in Rockford, Illinois is the only building ever designed by the famed architect for a person with a disability. Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent commissioned and lived in the home from 1952 until early 2012, when it was acquired by a private foundation and added to the National Register of Historic Places. This single-story Usonian home is both functional and beautiful, decades ahead of ADA accessibility requirements. The home features a solar hemicycle footprint, patio, fishpond, carport, and outdoor connectivity to the natural landscape. The modest home is built of Chicago Common Brick and Red Tidewater Cypress and much of the labor and materials were sourced locally from Rockford. - Reservations are required for all tours of the Laurent House. - Tours will be hosted the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday in the same month) and the third weekend of each month. - All tours begin on a shuttle bus at Midway Village, 6799 Guilford Rd., Rockford, IL, after checking-in at the Guest Relations table, in the Midway Village Museum lobby. - Please arrive at Midway Village 15 minutes prior to your tour. - The bus leaves on the hour, at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. each day that tours operate. - There are no restrooms or parking available at the Laurent House. During the winter and early spring months, small private and large group tours are encouraged to tour the Laurent House. For private tours of fewer than 10 guests there is an additional charge. Regardless of size, all special tours are arranged by calling 815-877-2952, or by emailing info@laurenthouse.com. We welcome the opportunity to assist guests with disabilities at the Laurent House. For assistance and information on accessibility call 815-877-2952, or email info@laurenthouse.com.

Located on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology, S.R. Crown Hall is widely regarded as Mies van der Rohe's masterpiece, and is one of the most architecturally significant buildings of the 20th century Modernist Movement.

Home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper offices, this Gothic-Revival landmark features flying buttresses and gargoyles This is a result of New York architects John Mead Howells and Raymond M. Hood's design that was chosen as a winner out of 263 entries from twenty-three countries during an international architectural competition to immodestly "erect the most beautiful building in the world" in 1922.

John Wellborn Root designed the Rookery in 1885-9, which reflects the development of new structural systems for large urban buildings during that time. It holds one of the most spectacular interior spaces in the state, an elaborate main lobby and light court that were renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) in 1905. The Rookery was named a Chicago Landmark in 1972, listed to the National Register in 1970, and named a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Copy and descriptions courtesy of AIA Illinois and the 150 Great Places in Illinois www.illinoisgreatplaces.com

As you drive by this farm, your eye is drawn upward to a towering brick structure located near the modern home. The structure, erected around 1913, is one of a dozen brick water towers still standing in Illinois.

Museum Campus is a 57-acre museum park that sits near Lake Michigan and surrounds three of the city's most notable museums, all dedicated to the natural sciences: the Adler Planetarium; the Shedd Aquarium; and the Field Museum of Natural History. It is also known for holding the Soldier Field football stadium and the Lakeside Center of the McCormick Place.

The world-renowned Lyric Opera of Chicago performs in one of North America's most beautiful opera houses, the Civic Opera House. The decorative character of the entire building is a hybrid of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Comedy-tragedy masks and cornucopia of instruments abound as playful ornaments around entrances, inspired by the Paris Opera House designed by Jean-Louis-Charles Garnier. The famous painted fire curtain (depicting the parade scene from Aida) and the interior decoration details of the Civic Opera House were created by American artist Jules Guerin in a palette of salmon pinks, roses, olives, golds and bronzes.

Built in 1903, the auditorium is the largest building of its kind anywhere in the world, and is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Above the stage are Grecian statues designed by Robert Root.

Theatergoers love that every seat is a great seat at The Raue Center for the Arts in downtown Crystal Lake. Since its restoration a decade ago, Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Raue Center has become a destination in the heart of a bustling downtown area chock-full of pre- or post-show dining and shopping options.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this chapel was built in 1918 with a donation from former Marion mayor Leroy Goddard. It is still used for weddings and other events, this chapel is one of the beautiful historic places to see in Williamson County.

The Barn at Allen Acres Wedding and Reception Venue sits on 3 and 1/2 acres just on the edge of town in Rock Falls IL. The property is surrounded by a cornfield and offers a serene tranquil destination for your wedding and reception. The property is less than a 5 minute drive to restaurants and hotels. The Dairy Barn was built in the 1920's and restored in 2011. It boasts a beautiful 26 foot vaulted ceiling in the upstairs haymow with some of its original architecture still intact. During the process of the restoration, reclaimed barn wood and reclaimed hardware were used whenever possible, maintaining the rustic feel of the Barn. We've added a 5 foot wide set of stairs leading to the upstairs space and a small deck with stairs, off of the back of the Barn, giving the bride a dramatic entrance down the aisle and to the alter. The upstairs haymow has a capacity of 150 people for a wedding ceremony. The downstairs area, where the dairy cows were kept, in the early years of the barn, also has a capacity for 150 people.

The LaSalle Street Financial Corridor is one of the most visually stunning districts in the city. A long canyon of buildings, unlike any other area of Chicago, terminates at the Chicago Board of Trade Building, the 1930 Art Deco masterpiece by Holabird & Root. A sparkling, stainless-steel sculpture of Ceres, the goddess of grain, by John Storrs (1885-1956) caps the composition, visually focusing this whirling financial district on the commodity that enabled so much of Chicago’s growth. The Board of Trade was named a Chicago Landmark in 1977 and listed to the National Register in 1978. Copy and descriptions courtesy of AIA Illinois and the 150 Great Places in Illinois www.illinoisgreatplaces.com

This museum is located in an 1889 school building and features a permanent exhibit honoring Jane Addams, who was born and raised in Cedarville. Miss Addams was an internationally famous humanitarian and social work pioneer who founded Chicago's Hull House and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Museum exhibits include personal items and memorabilia from her life and the life of her family. There are also changing exhibits on topics of local historical interest and a research center and a research center. Open: May thru October: Saturday and Sunday: 1 pm - 4 pm; or by appointment.

The creation of Harold Washington Library Center is a product of a widely publicized architectural competition. Designed by Tom Beeby, the red brick, granite, and glass composition uses traditional design motifs to establish itself as a civic structure. A two-story battered granite base supports a five-story brick body punctuated by five arches along State Street and three facing Congress and Van Buren. The Harold Washington Library Center is a hybrid design that reflects the conflicting architectural ideas that characterized the late 1980s.

This PDA guided tour will show you the evolution of architecture in Oak Park, from the Victorian period through to Prairie School and the 1930s Art Deco period. Hear the reflections of the famous people who walked these streets and nurtured their creativity in Oak Park.

The Aurora area features diverse architectural styles, including designs by Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Bruce Goff and George Grant Elmslie. The area is also home to one of the largest collections of Sears mail order homes.

Arguably one of the most famous outhouses left on the planet is located in the town of Gays, IL, located just five minutes from Mattoon. The existence of outhouses in general are rare, but certainly a two-story version is a unique oddity that the small rural community of 300 has capitalized on for quite some time. Stop by anytime for this great photo opportunity!

Located in Hyde Park, this stunning Gothic chapel (funded by a gift to the University of Chicago by John D. Rockefeller) hosts regular performances by the Rockefeller Chapel Choir and visiting musical artists.

Take a guided or self-guided tour of this historic district that contains the world's greatest concentration of Wright-designed structures built in the Prairie School of Architecture style. Tours are offered daily.

The Auditorium Building original configuration combined a theater seating, a four-hundred-room hotel, and 136 offices and stores. The hotel lobby with a notable interior is now Roosevelt University. The Auditorium Building is one of the best-known designs of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975 and it was designated a Chicago Landmark on September 15, 1976.

One of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire, the Historic Water Tower is an icon on North Michigan Avenue and houses the City Gallery, which showcases Chicago photography. The tower was built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington.

Art, architecture, and garden tours of Howard Van Doren Shaw's summer retreat. The house and gardens, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places among examples of the Arts and Crafts movement in the country. It house 12 artists at a time.

Black walnut doors, detailed wood carvings in the Eastlake style, amazing marble fireplaces: there's so much to see on a tour of the historic Dole Mansion and the original Crystal Lake Country Club (now the Creative Arts Center).

Pettit Memorial Chapel, located in Belvidere Cemetery, was designed by Frank Llyod Wright and erected in 1907. Brochures available for self-guided historic tours. Open daily, 8am - sunset. Tours available by appointment.

Carson Pirie Scott & Company’s former flagship store, designed by Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) was also built in stages, beginning in 1899, 1903, augmented by an addition by D. H. Burnham & Co. in 1906, and ending with a 1961 addition by Holabird and Root. Although Carson’s wide windows and narrow piers are expressive of the internal steel frame, the building is more famous for its exquisite ornament by Sullivan. The embellished storefronts, newly restored decorative cornice, and ornate columns capitals on the interior all bear Sullivan’s personal style of ornament. It was both named a Chicago Landmark and listed in the National Register in 1970. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Copy and descriptions courtesy of AIA Illinois and the 150 Great Places in Illinois www.illinoisgreatplaces.com

Have you ever wanted to see the beautiful city of Chicago from above? Join us for an amazing helicopter skyline tour where you will see the city from a birds eye view! This is one of the most incredible adventures you can ever imagine. During our flight you will see all that this city has to offer - Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, Soldier Field, Willis Tower, John Hancock Observatory, Cellular One Field and the United Center.

Stop by the Visitors Center for an audio walking tour, maps, books, souvenirs and unique gifts. Tickets are available for Hemingway's Birthplace Home and Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, Historic Pleasant Home and the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest.

One of Illinois' finest examples of courthouse architecture, this stately structure was built in 1878. The main courtroom ceiling is decorated with murals depicting the principal communities of the county.

The city’s second-tallest building, located at 200 E. Randolph St., rises 82 floors. Interestingly, the structure was first clad entirely in marble, but the slabs turned out to be too thin and were later replaced with thicker slabs of white granite.

Kincaid Mounds Archaeological Site is 4 miles south of Unionville Road on New Cut Road, Brookport, IL. Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site is a nationally significant Native-American archaeological treasure. From about 800 AD to 1500 AD it was the ‘capital' of a chiefdom that stretched from Brookport to Hamletsburg along the Ohio River. Large flat-topped mounds were erected on which the houses and temples of civil and religious elite stood. Today, the mounds still exist and a constructed overlook platform and interpretive panels tell the story of the significant contribution and historical value of this Native.

A professional photographer takes visitors to a landmark Chicago destination while giving tips on composition, lighting and exposure. These sessions are for photographers of any skill level with any kind of camera, digital or film.

Located in the center of the Magnificent Mile, and steps from the Michigan Avenue Bridge, The Wrigley Building has been a hallmark of Chicago’s skyline since 1920. Designed as the headquarters for the successful chewing gum, the building was modeled after the Seville Cathedral’s Giralda Tower in Spain. Today, it is still home to Wm Wrigley Jr. Company, and is perhaps best known for its dazzling white towers that illuminate the city at night.

Constructed in 1857 as the southern division of the Illinois State Supreme Court, Abraham Lincoln successfully argued a famous tax case in 1859. In 1888, Clara Barton used the building as a hospital. Tours are available. Please call in advance.

The largest indoor convention exhibit area in the country is 2.2 million square feet, with 8 levels of exhibit halls, restaurants, meeting rooms and audiovisual theaters that provide all the necessary amenities for a successful trade show or convention. McCormick Place is designed by Gene Summers, who worked for Mies van der Rohe. It is derivative of a long-span convention center proposed by Mies van der Rohe. When the earlier version of McCormick was destroyed by fire, the firm C.F. Murphy was retained for the job and hired Summers specifically to design the new structure.

Take a walk through Riverside's history by spending the afternoon with the Frederick Law Olmsted Society, your guide to learning more about the village's unique community and landscape design. Riverside was designed in 1869 by famous landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

Designed by Louis Sullivan with assistance from his junior draftsman, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Charnley-Persky House is recognized as a pivotal work of modern American architecture. Docent-led tours of the exterior and interior of the Charnley-Persky House (1891-1892) are offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year. The National Historic Landmark building serves as the headquarters of the Society of Architectural Historians. Photos by David Schalliol.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 57-room, Victorian-era mansion features century-old chandeliers, ornate woodwork and other fine details. It was built in 1876 by Edward C. Hegeler and the mansion was designed by Chicago architect William W. Boyington.

Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is a renowned educational institution rich in history and architecture. More than 150 historically significant and interesting sites on campus are featured in various 30-minute walking tours.

Discover the gay-friendly shops and restaurants of Andersonville, then head to Edgewater to see Art Deco and Tudor Revival architecture in the Bryn Mawr Historic District. Tours depart from the Chicago Cultural Center.

Built in 1917 for A. Watson Armour, Elawa Farm is a stunning example of estate farm architecture. Come and learn about Historic Elawa Farm and what it looked like way back when and what is happening today at the farm. This farm is a 16-acre parcel of land, including the original farm complex buildings that were part of an early 20th century gentleman's farm and has a unique combination of natural setting, designed landscapes and buildings of architectural and historic significance.

Let Noble Horse make your day or evening special. See the city from a lovely antique horse carriage ride. Noble Horse Carriages are available at 2 locations: Michigan Avenue: 820 N. Michigan Avenue, the corner of Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue and Old Town: 1410 N. Orleans Street, the corner of Schiller and Orleans.

See the evolution of architecture, from early Victorian to Art Deco, on this self-guided tour. Combination tickets include admission to Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, Ernest Hemingway's Birthplace and Museum, and Pleasant Home.

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, this 264,000 sq. foot building provides a new home for the museum’s renowned collections of modern painting and sculpture, contemporary art, architecture and design, and photography. Be among the first to see this dramatic addition that makes the Art Institute of Chicago the second largest art museum in the United States.

This powerful, 31-story tower was designed by Jacques Brownson (b. 1923) of C. F. Murphy Associates. Composed of three massive structural bays, each an unprecedented 87-feet wide and nearly 48-feet deep, and supported by warren trusses at every floor, the building achieves incredible structural integrity and interior flexibility. The exterior wall plane consists of 12-foot-high windows with amber-tinted glass and 6-foot-high panels of self-weathering Cor-Ten steel, which has aged to a rich brown color. The large public plaza features a 50-foot-tall Cor-Ten sculpture of 1967 by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), gifted by him to the city of Chicago. The Daley Center plaza is one in a line of three important public plazas in the heart of the Loop (see also the Federal Center and Chase Bank Plaza). Photo courtesy of AIA Chicago, Wes Urschel. Copy and descriptions courtesy of AIA Illinois and the 150 Great Places in Illinois www.illinoisgreatplaces.com

Offers sightseeing tours in more than 150 destinations on six continents and is widely recognized as the world's leader in sightseeing tours, ground transportation, charter service, airport transfers, and convention services.

The opulent Cuneo Museum and Gardens, located on 75 acres and dotted with formal gardens and statuary was the perfect setting for the wedding scenes in "My Best Friend's Wedding." The gazebo where the best friends were caught kissing was built specifically for the film, but Cuneo's owners liked it so much they decided to keep it permanently. Take a guided tour through the historic Mediterranean-style Cuneo mansion to see Renaissance artworks and lavish European furnishings.

The University of Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement. It's distinguished by the breadth of their programs, broad academic excellence and internationally renowned faculty. This Big Ten school offers rich experiences beyond the classroom from the best in performing arts to world-class sports. Discover the scenic campus through tours of the historic buildings and those that are pushing the envelope in technology.

Stroll the brick streets and enjoy unique historic architecture while viewing beautiful flower, perennial and water gardens. Garden vendors and a farmer's market will be stationed in the Courthouse Square.

This landmark structure in suburban Oak Park served as Wright's private residence and studio from 1889 to 1909—the first 20 years of his career. Wright used his home as an architectural laboratory, trying out design concepts before sharing them with clients. With 25 Wright-designed buildings in the neighborhood surrounding the Home & Studio, Oak Park is an outdoor museum of architecture.

Historic Fischer Theatre, owned by the Vermilion Heritage Foundation, was built as the Grand Opera House in 1884. From Lillian Russell to silent movies, this theater provided entertainment to the community until it's closing in 1982. As work continues toward the goal of complete restoration, the lobby is used for many public events. The theater also houses the "Stage Presents The Fischer Gift Shop" where you will find creations by local artists and artisans, as well as products highlighting the area's famous stage, movie and vocal artists.